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Velocpede. No. 90,585. Patented May25, 1869.

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Letters Patent No. 90,585, dated M'ny 25, 1869.

IMPROVEMENT IN 'VIEIIIIOC'IPEDES".`

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of the same.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PHILIP C. Rowe, of' Boston, in the county of Suffolk, and State of Massachusetts, have invented Improvements in Velocipedes; and I do hereby declare that the following, taken in connection with the drawings which accompany and form part of this specification, is a description of my invention, sutlicicnt vplane ofthe vehicle, and to one or both of which innscular effort is applied to move the vehicle, of two small wheels, rolls, or casters attached, one on each side of' the vehicle, so that by manipulation of the rider they can be made to touch the ground, to steady the vehicle when in motion or when still.

Third, in combining, with the steering-wheel lever, two equal springs under tension, so as always to returnlthe steering-wheel to the same plane with the following or trailing-wheel, and to hold the steeringwheel in said plane, straight line, except when said wheel is purposely deilected by the rider, or is for a moment and accidentally deflected by an obstruction.

Fourth, in the arrangement and combination, with a leading and trailing-wheel, both in the central longitudinal vertical plane of the vehicle, of two cranks on cach wheel, when the cran ks of each pair are arranged substantially at angles of one hundred and eighty degrees to each other, and so that one pair ot' cranks may be worked bythe feet, and the. other pair by the hands of the rider. /4

hifth, in operating the cranks on the steering-wheel by means ot' flexible connections, which are so brought, by means of' leading-rolls, to or toward the steeringaxis of the wheel, that the power exert-ed on the cranks to propel the vehicle, exerts no material strain in deiiecting the wheel.

The drawings show, in sectional side elevation, Figure 1, a velocipede, embodying my invention, the same being also shown in plan in Figure 2.

The body ofthe vehicle is intended preferably to be made as a light frame-work, a, of nieta-l, which may be covered to any desirable extent to shield the occupant from the sun and. rain.

At the front and rear, strong brackets, b and c, are fixed to the frame-work, and project therefrom, the bracket b having in its cud a vertical bearing, in which is pivoted the shaft of the fork d, in the lower ends of which are formed the bearings for the axle of the front or stecringavheel e.

causing the vehicle to run in aV rlhe rcar bracket c is bifnrca-tcd and strongly braced, as is also the'front bracket, the bracket c having, in the ends of its fork, hearings for the axle of the hind wheel jl The body of the vehicleis intended to be at least of such a size as accommodates one person seated on the seat g', giving room for full extension of the legs toward the front wheel, so that by contraction and extension of the legs of the rider, the hind Wheel will be rotated through the combination of the cranks g -of the wheel j, the connecting-rods or links h, and sus-` pensories i, pivoted at the front of the top of the frame a, whenever the feet are placed against and ou' the pedals at j.

Both the wheels c and f are. intended to be large, and the bottom of the body ofthe vehicle is designed to be brought as near the ground as will allow it to pass over any ordinary projection likely to be found on a roadway.

. The casters, or rolls, or small wheclsk, are journalled on studs, each oi' which is fixed to one end of a bent lever, pivoted to the side ofthe body of the vehicle, while the other end of each bent lever is provided with a connector by which the wheel on the lever can be raised from Contact withuthe ground, and so held by confining the connector m to a hook, oz..

The arms of levers l, to which the wheels k are journalled, have springs o attached thereto, and to the -body of the vehicle under strain, so as to bring the wheels k to the ground when connectors m are released from the hooks n, when they, are connected to the hooks p to keep them out of the way.

,-l`o the cranks q on the steeri 11g-wheel are connected rods r, which work through guide-holes in the -steering-lever s, fixed on the shaft of the fork d.

Lines, or chains, or other suitable connections t, are

secured to the rods lr, near the crank-pins, and 'are passed over the leading rolls u into the body of the vehicle, where, with weights 'u' attached, they hang within reach of the rider, so that he can seize them with each hand, and exert the muscular force ofthe arms andupper part of the body upon the cranks 1 to turn wheel c. l A

The lines t, being brought to or near the centre of' the vertical shaft of the fork d, prevent strain upon them from dellecting .the wheel c, which would be dellected, trst to one side, and then to the other, if the strain were exerted in the planes of rotation of the cranks q, y

The lines yv are attached to the ends of the steeringlever s, and are led into the body of the vehicle within reach ot' theoccupant, who, b'y seizing and pulling upon one or the other of them, can turn the vehicle,

when in motion,r to either side.

To keep the"steering-wheel in igtsdriormal.position il 'the Avertical longitudinal' gti'al plane of the ve hiclc, the'ends of the steeringlever s are connected by lines w to springs x, which are under 'considerable and equal tension, and act to return the wheel e to its ynormal position when deiiected by obstructions, and when the steering-lines i: are released by the rider.

A brake may be conveniently applied to'the hind wheel, and the seat may be made adjust-able to suit persons of various lengths of limbs.

I claini-` t 1. A velocipede, made with a body reaching nearly to the ground and pendent between two supportingwheels, one of whiclris arranged to .b e turned either to the right or left when provided with steadyingwheels on either side of the body, made adj ustableas to position, and operating substantially as described.

2. Also, the combination of the springs x with the steering-wheel, when arranged to operate substantially as described.

y3'. Alsoa the combination, in one vehicle, of a cen-` tral leading anda central trailing-wheel, when one is arranged as a steering-wheel, and when each. wheel is provided with a paio of cranks, and each crank of each pair is arranged at an 'angle of about one hundred and eighty degrees with reference to its fellow, and one pair is provided with Ameans for being operated by the feet, and the other pair by the hands of the rider.

4. Also, the combination, with the steering-wheel,

of flexible connections, and leaders therefor, arranged A substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

I. C. ROWE.

` Witnesses:

J. B. CROSBY,

S. B. .KIDDEIL 

